


Don't Cry Over Spilled Coffee

by solarperigee



Series: Gaykery AU [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 08:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18139970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarperigee/pseuds/solarperigee
Summary: Just some fluff and bad first aid.





	Don't Cry Over Spilled Coffee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [halfdesertedstreets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfdesertedstreets/gifts).



> For Anna, who is the nearest approximation of Chowder I've found.

Derek is slouching at his laptop, face smushed into one palm to hold him upright (for a given value of "upright") while he doodles in the margins of one of his students' essays with the other.

Shannon, whose name he learned quickly because of their natural-texture mohawk (and his slight envy over it), had started their essay with a meme of John Mulaney screaming "I THINK EMILY DICKINSON IS A LESBIAN" and then forgotten to remove it before turning it in.

Dex likes John Mulaney; he made them marathon all of his netflix specials when the new one came out. Chowder had wondered aloud if his affinity for the comedian was out of a sort of bland white boy camaraderie, and Dex had glared at him, mouth twitching, and shoved a pillow in his face when Chris tried to kiss the smiling corner of his mouth.

Derek had laughed at them until he was wheezing, and happily collected the kisses Dex had turned down.

Derek writes "partial credit" next to the meme and draws a thinking emoji.

He's struggling to get his tired eyes to focus on Shannon's conclusion instead of blurring the words together, when a sudden "oh, FUCK" in a familiar voice jerks him out of his reverie.

He whirls around, already halfway to standing when he finally processes what he's seeing.

Will is bright red, matching his apron, face frozen in an almost comical cringe, hands hovering a little like he wants to help but isn't sure how.

Chris has dropped his apron on the floor and is halfway to his shirt joining it.

Coffee drips over the edge of the counter.

A customer is frozen in shock.

Kent "call me Parse" Parson slams the swinging kitchen door open with a shoulder, eyes darting frantically around, trying to piece together what happened.

Derek "holy fuck you're Kent Parson" Nurse wrenches his eyes away from his boyfriend's chest and shuts his mouth with a click.

Time starts back up.

Kent steps fully out of the kitchen, more serious than Derek has ever seen him.

"Dex, clean that up. Chowder, clothes, office, first aid. Nursey—"

Derek jumps a little.

"Go with Chowder." He points at Derek and then the kitchen door.

Derek nods quickly, shuts his laptop, and powerwalks over. He sends Dex a smile that he hopes is supportive and guides Chris through the door with a hand on his lower back.

Satisfied, Kent pastes on a charming smile that Derek knows he stole from Eric, and turns his attention to the gobsmacked customer.

Before the door swings shut behind them, Derek hears him say, "I'm so sorry about that, I'll get you a new one and a bakery item, on the house. Could you please repeat your order?"

Chris presses back into Derek's hand, his skin soft and muscles firm. Derek may have researched how to give massages purely so he had an excuse to put his hands all over Chowder's back. And to help with Will's anxiety tension. And because he likes it when his boys are relaxed and happy.

"It's okay," Chris says gently, letting Derek steer him into the office. "Most of it got on the apron."

Derek ignores that and nudges him into the armchair in the corner while he looks for the med kit.

It's on the bookshelf behind the desk, and Derek sets it on top of the laminated calendar Eric has taped to the desk.

"Nursey," Chowder says, laying a hand on Derek's arm, and Derek startles a little. He hadn't noticed him move. "Nursey, I'm okay.

Derek sags a little, instant cool pack clenched in one hand. "You're burned," he says and hopes Chris ignores how whiny he sounds.

Chris looks down at his spectacular abs, which are slightly pink, and back at Derek, who takes a second to reboot back into Worried Boyfriend Mode.

"You're hurt," he says, trying to sound more firm. "Let me help you, okay?"

Chowder rolls his eyes fondly. "This isn't the McDonald's coffee case, babe. It was a normal latte."

Derek steps further into Chris' space. "Let me?" he asks again, softer, unable to assuage the worry in his gut.

Chris kisses him on the tip of the nose. "You just want to touch me," he accuses, smug as Derek has ever seen him.

Derek sighs. "I was worried about you, you fucker. I don't like seeing you get hurt."

It's only happened once before, when they all went on a skate-date and Chris tried teaching them to skate. He'd been going backwards so he could see them, and he'd tripped. Nothing was broken, but he was bruised for a while and Derek and Will couldn't stop fretting.

Chowder's already warm eyes soften. "Hey, Derek, look at me."

He holds Derek's gaze for a moment before gesturing at his torso. "I'm gonna be fine. I'm just a little red, okay?"

Derek stares some more, partly to scrutinize the damage, partly because he can. There's a faint bite mark on the left side of Chris's ribs. He's almost positive it was Dex's doing. Dex loves leaving marks, loves being marked.

Derek thinks it's sweet how much Will loves wearing proof that they're all together.

"But can I take care of you?" Derek blurts.

Chowder pulls him closer by the belt loops. "You always take care of me," he teases.

Derek takes that as a yes, because it is, cracks the ice pack to get it cold, and presses it to Chris' bare stomach.

Chris yelps. "Geez, at least wrap it in a towel!"

"Wow," Dex drawls from the door. "You're really bad at first aid for someone named Nurse."

Chris shakes, trying to hide his giggles behind his hand. Derek sighs again, but the knot of anxiety in his stomach is loosening.

Dex gives him his most infuriating smirk and hands him a clean towel. Derek accepts them both and decides they balance out.

Chris doesn't yelp the second time Derek presses the ice pack, now carefully swaddled, to his abdomen.

"C'mon," Will says, and coaxes them over to the armchair. He arranges them to his liking, with Chris sprawled sideways across Derek's lap, holding him down and soothing his need to touch him, to make sure he's okay.

Dex pulls one of the desk chairs over and sits so his legs are pressed against Derek's.

Will grabs Chris' hand, tangling their fingers together. "I'm sorry I spilled coffee on you," he offers, as if Chris could be mad at him.

Chris smiles, and Derek sees him squeeze Dex's hand. "I'm used to it," he teases, and Dex tries to scowl.

"Y'know," Will says, clearing his throat. "You two look like a Renaissance painting. Chowder is Jesus and you're, like, Mary or something."

Derek looks down at Chris, who seems content to chill in his lap, shirtless, jeans only held up by how tightly they cling to his thighs. "You mean the Pietá?"

Dex shrugs. "I dunno, you're the artsy one."

Dex nudges Derek's foot with his own and smiles to make sure Derek knows he's teasing.

Derek echos the nudge and the smile.

Chris pushes his hair off his forehead and wriggles to make his abs ripple under Derek's hand. "So while we're on this unofficial work break, can you two think of anything... productive we could do?" He affects his best smoulder, looking between them, and Derek laughs.

Will follows in suit, half a beat later, and when Derek looks closely, he can see Dex's ears turning red.

Derek makes a note to return to that thought later, and then a second note to never let Eric or Kent find out about that thought or anything that might result from it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first shot at Nursey!POV in this 'verse so... Let me know how I did.
> 
> Kudos/comments to fuel me as I approach finals
> 
> PS this is not how you treat a burn


End file.
